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Martial Arts: The Side Kick

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Martial Arts: The Side Kick

Learn how to properly carry out the side kick with VideoJug's helpful and informative video. Our expert black-belt instructor Steve Mortimore teaches you how to perform this basic but essential move. Learn how to properly carry out the side kick with VideoJug's helpful and informative video. Our expert black-belt instructor Steve Mortimore teaches you how to perform this basic but essential move.

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: The Stance

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and taking a step back with your right foot to a comfortable distance, as if on tram lines. Then turn your feet 30º and bend your knees. Remember to keep your feet firmly on the ground.

Make sure you're positioned at a 90º angle to your opponent.

This platform will allow you to draw your energy up from the ground. The energy should then flow through your body and be released into your target via the kick.

A strong stance is an absolute must for a good kick as you need to have a stable platform from which to launch it.

Step 3: The Strike

Bring the knee of your kicking leg, i.e. your back leg, up. Remember that your knee height will determine the height of your kick.

Thrust your leg out to the side, making sure you use the outside edge of the foot to make contact with the target. Keep the toes pulled tightly back. Don't be tempted to use the sole of your foot, because the body's power should be focused into as small an area of the foot as possible for maximum impact.

Bend the supporting leg while kicking to give you better balance.

As soon as you've struck your target, bring your leg back as quickly as it went in, back into the basic stance.

Your guard needs to face the direction of the kick. Bring it round from the front to the side. Your right hand should now more forward than the left.

Step 4: Breathing

Measured breathing and the exhalation of your energy will improve your kicking technique. Exhale throughout the entire execution of the kick and make your exhalation strong and powerful from your abdomen. This is called the "KI-AI".

Step 5: Review

Here's some other things to keep in mind. Always keep your guard up while kicking. Don't be tempted to throw your arms backward and open yourself up for a counterattack.

Tilt your head slightly down, with your chin tucked in.

And finally, try to keep your back straight without leaning too far forward or backward while kicking.

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Tips & Comments
  1. Sam_Gerfast

    Terrible side kicks, first of all the student kicking holds a stand like a damn boxer. There's no hip rotation, no power whatsoever and his foot bounce on the senseis body. He's not protecting his body nor does he keep his balance throughout the kicks, It's a complete mess, 6th dan my a**e. Those guys are amatuers, end of story

  2. Sam_Gerfast

    Terrible side kicks, first of all the student kicking holds a stand like a damn boxer. There's no hip rotation, no power whatsoever and his foot bounce on the senseis body. It's a complete mess, 6th dan my a**e. Those guys are amatuers, end of story

  3. Wild_Jim

    Come on Hongy - you're being too kind to these chaps! Every technique should be perfect, no matter how often you do it (& why were there so many takes? lol) Anyway, what's all this about bending both knees - back leg should be locked in strainght, change blocks, twist front foot out, up on one leg, pivot hips, strike with side of foot - now you know how to do it Stevey! Hey, what's the last bit about? I thought he was gonna hit his mate in the B*^^*%s, did he miss? And, i'm absolutely certain that he just about fell over when he'd done his punches - maybe he slipped off the mat? (or the person holding him up let go for a moment). Sorry, but it brightened my night up! Stick to sowing Steve.

  4. Anonymous

    ya look like a retard wen ya breathin

  5. hongkongphooey

    well done stephenporter. you have just demonstrated complete misunderstanding of the concept of the instructional video for beginners. the "amateur" 6th dan black belt steve and his brown belt student were more than likely repeating these manoeuvres for hours, take after very boring take, and so probably didn't perform to the standards they would usually save for actual training and fighting. instructional videos for beginners are meant to introduce the beginner to the basic ideas of the particular move and for the purpose of demonstrating something slowly, may not have used all the followthrough and power they would use when demonstrating the kick for real. god bless non-film-makers, eh?

  6. stephenporter

    Ok then: the back should turn a little more, with the eyes all the time on the target. This turning, coming from the waist will generate huge power - the body snaps back as the leg is snapped out. When using a kickbag and focusing on power the student should be encouraged to 'follow through'. This would prevent his foot bouncing so much off the bag. For speed kicking however, the student should be encouraged NOT to let his leg just kind of dangle, but to return rapidly to the ready stance. So, 1.Hip rotation 2.Back slightly turned 3.Follow through 4.More disciplined return to ready stance. Hope this helps.

  7. stephenporter

    Johnny Anonymous is right! Those kicks ARE useless. The instruction completely ignores the importance of the hip rotation for power generation. The kicks are bad because they are WRONG! God bless amateurs, eh.

  8. Anonymous

    Those are absolutely terrible kicks! The senpai's foot is bouncing off the instructor.